Product Review: Lakanto Sugar-Free Cookie Mix

This week, I’m visiting a Houston friend who adheres to a Keto Diet for health reasons unrelated to diabetes. Keto Diet is generally defined as a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates (sugars) that causes the body to break down fat into molecules called ketones.

I’m not on a Keto Diet, but I’m always curious about what other people eat, so my friend willingly gave me a tour of her pantry. I spotted several Lakanto Sugar-Free Cookie Mix packages on her shelf. She says, “They’re great!” She especially likes the brownie mix. 

Lakanto products contain monk fruit. Monk fruit is a small, melon-like fruit grown in China and gets its name from the Buddhist monks who originally grew it centuries ago. Monk fruit sugar has been given the stamp of approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and given the title of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). ‌Monk fruit has zero calories or carbs; it will not raise blood sugar levels.

The Lakanto website claims that in less than 15 minutes, you’ll have freshly baked, sugar-free, keto-friendly cookies! They even offer a frosting recipe using Lakanto Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener.

She made some brownies earlier, so I was able to sample one. I found the brownies brimming with chocolate. They tasted lighter than regular brownies, which is true of every baked good recipe in which you substitute most popular sugar substitutes for sugar. It’s a different taste but not bad.  It doesn’t have the cooling effect or bitter aftertaste of other sugar substitutes. Sadly, I feel these brownies made me hungry for one with sugar.

A quick scan of Amazon reviews for Lankanto Sugar Free Cookie Mix revealed people’s reactions are mixed. While many reviewers wrote, “I had no expectations for these gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, egg-free “sugar cookies” and they were delicious!!! And “They do have a very slight bit of an aftertaste. But they are probably the best keto sugar cookie mix I have tried!” Several other reviews commented, “Disliked the texture and the flavor. Baked according to directions, and the cookies fell apart. They were very sweet and had a weird aftertaste. I personally would not buy again.”

On a side note, another reviewer got creative in her kitchen and came up with an interesting way to enjoy cookie mix, “I haven’t made the first cookie. Instead, I mix some with liquid or cottage cheese and have a dessert I don’t have to feel bad about.”

Erythritol is an ingredient in this Lakanto Monkfruit blend. Erythritol, eaten in excess, may cause diarrhea, stomach cramps/discomfort, headache, bloating, and explosive gas. My friend has not experienced any of the side effects. 

Divabetic Podcast on Keto Diets

If you have followed your favorite celebrity on social media, gone to a gym, or picked up a fashion magazine, you have probably heard about the keto diet. But what is it, what are the pros and cons of adhering to a keto diet, and what information should you share with your healthcare collaborators?

We will discuss these issues on October’s Divabetic podcast with my special guest, Dr. Michael Grego. He is a Naturopathic Physician, a Chiropractic doctor, and the author of 3 books: The Nutritional Ketogenic Diet, Clean Keto vs Dirty Keto, and the latest best-selling book, The InsulThin Diet

Keto is short for ketogenic, a process during which your body uses fat as its primary fuel source instead of carbohydrates. Calories on this diet primarily come from sources of dietary fat, such as butter, oil, and nuts, and moderate amounts of protein-rich foods, such as meat, full-fat cheese, fish, and eggs.

Before engaging in any dietary plan, please consult with your healthcare collaborators.

Throughout the podcast, we feature music from The Essential John Luongo album courtesy of SONY Music.

Our music inspiration, John Luongo, is considered the first to create dance remixes and extended mixes of our favorite songs. He’s a DJ, remixer, writer, publisher, and manager.

Divabetic Reader #2: Viola Shipman’s The Summer Cottage

Summer reading is fun. However, Summer snacking while reading can quickly derail your diabetes health goals. For example, this past weekend, I spent several hours in the airport reading and snacking after multiple plane delays. Aunt Annie’s Pretzels and aisles of Chex Mix galore, as well as any carb-heavy snack, are like kryptonite for me. I am usually entirely powerless when they’re within my reach. But now that I can walk longer and play tennis without difficulty or pain, my health goals have been re-ignited after sustaining a significant leg injury. So instead of Traditional Chex Mix, I snacked on The Fresh Market’s Everything Parmesan Crisps as I read Viola Shipman’s book, The Summer Cottage. This keto-friendly snack has 2 g of net carbs per serving versus the Chex Mix’s 23 g of net carbs per serving. 

 

We all know that manufacturers of unhealthy snacks masquerade their food products as healthy snacks with catchy names, health claims, and green-friendly packaging so it’s important to read the nutrition label.

The Mayo Clinic recommends you start with the list of ingredients.

  • Keep an eye out for heart-healthy ingredients, especially those that are less processed, such as whole-wheat flour, soy, and oats. Monounsaturated fats — such as olive, canola or peanut oils; nuts; and seeds — promote heart health, too.
  • Avoid unhealthy ingredients, such as excessive salt or added sugars, saturated fats, or hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil.
  • Look at total carbohydrates, not just sugar.

Keep in mind that ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. The main (heaviest) ingredient is listed first, followed by other ingredients used in decreasing amounts.

MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, DTR‘s summer nutrition tips, echoed in my ear as I scanned the snack aisle before approaching the cash register. She encouraged participants to spend their carbs wisely throughout the day on a recent Divabetic virtual outreach program on Zoom. By the way, we will be hosting our next free Divabetic On Zoom program in Fall. For details, visit Divabetic.Org. 

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states people with diabetes should aim to get about half of their calories from carbs. If you usually eat about 1,800 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight, about 800 to 900 calories can come from carbs. At 4 calories per gram, that’s 200–225 carb grams a day. That’s a general guideline but for a more personalized approach, consult with a registered dietitian.

What was I reading? 

I read Viola Shipman’s The Summer Cottage. Here’s a short synopsis:

“Adie Lou Kruger’s ex never understood her affection for what her parents called their Cozy Cottage, the charming, ramshackle summer home—complete with its own set of rules for relaxing—that she’s inherited on Lake Michigan. But despite the fact she’s facing a broken marriage and empty nest, and middle age is looming in the distance, memories of happy childhoods on the beach give her reason for hope. She’s determined not to let her husband’s affair with a grad student reduce her to a cliché, or to waste one more minute in a career she doesn’t love, so it becomes clear what Adie Lou must do: rebuild her life and restore her cottage shingle by shingle, on her terms.”

I have been looking forward to reading a Viola Shipman book since Wade Rouse appeared on Brenda Novak’s virtual Book Club on Facebook Live. Best-Selling Author Brenda Novak is a passionate diabetes advocate. She has raised millions of dollars for Diabetes Research with her online auction! 

Before Brenda’s interview, I didn’t know Viola Shipman and Wade Rouse are one and the same. Wade chose his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman, as a pen name to honor the woman whose heirlooms and family stories inspire his fiction. And he’s successful to boot! 

 If it’s true what Elizabeth Marvel said, “if you can see it, you can be it. And I believe in that”, then Wade’s writing journey just might inspire me to write too. I just didn’t think a man could or would be embraced to write the kind of books I tend to read. Now that I know it’s a possibility, my brain is spinning with so many storylines. I just might have to open a new google document once I finish rewrites and edits for this year’s Divabetic Mystery: A Christmas Peril. We have another rehearsal scheduled for tonight! 

Enjoy last year’s Divabetic Mystery podcast: Kill Me Madam using the link below:

There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten-time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’. But resentment, greed, and Britannia’s own bad dealings turn everyone into a suspect when she’s found dead in the parking lot just before the Annual Decadents on Deck! Bake Off competition is about to kick off.

Delusional baker and amateur sleuth Mr. Divabetic is even shocked to find himself being treated as a suspect in the case by the local police, after meeting her just once!

As if his life wasn’t crazy enough before, escaping a murderous mishap in New York and attempting a fresh start in Nantucket has turned into a complete and utter baking disaster, now Max, along with his friends and nosy mother, have to add tracking down a murderer to his To-Do list, as well.

Can our team hunt down the real murderer before they strike again? Will he become the next victim? Can Max ever manage to bake a cake that’s actually edible?

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.